The present invention relates to heat transfer decorations, and more particularly to heat transfer decorators having an intermediate transferring element.
A popular type of heat transfer decorator is shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,452,659; 4,383,880; and 4,381,211. These decorators apply labels disposed on a web and prepared in accordance with, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,426,422, and 4,313,994. A turret for conveying article past a labelling site is shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,405,403. A web transport assembly is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,393.
In these decorators the web is heated causing the label to become loosely adhered thereto. A platen containing a roller moves forward pressing the web against the article to be decorated. The article is rotated if round, or conveyed if non-round, as the web is advanced. The heat causes the outer surface of the label to become tacky, consequently, the label adheres to the article. After the label has been transferred, the label surface is subjected to high temperatures, causing the waxy release layer to become smooth.
A decorating system for applying labels to articles having compound or irregular surfaces is shown and described in pending application Ser. No. 503,486. This decorator cooperates with a different label, shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,905 and pending application U.S. Ser. No. 660,264. A heated elastomeric pad is pressed against the web to remove the label, moved into position above the article, then pressed against the article to apply the label. The pad can deform to enter folds and can wrap around projections.
A number of advantages are obtained with the use of the '905 type label, including: elimination of wax surface on the label; a combination release/adhesive layer; scratch/abrasion resistance; elimination of postflaming; and variation of the chemical composition of the label surface.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new decorator which can reliably apply the '905 type label at high speed.